1. Field
Embodiments of the present invention relate to an ultrasonic diagnostic instrument, which achieves enhanced heat dissipation efficiency via an increased surface area of a radiator and also achieves increased durability with a packaging structure thereof, and a method of manufacturing the ultrasonic diagnostic instrument.
2. Description of the Related Art
An ultrasonic diagnostic instrument is a device that transmits an ultrasonic signal from the body surface of a subject to an internal body region, and acquires tomography of soft tissues or blood flow in a non-invasive manner using information regarding the reflected ultrasonic signal (ultrasound echo signal). As compared to other diagnostic imaging apparatuses, such as an X-ray diagnostic apparatus, X-ray Computerized Tomography (CT) scanner, Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) apparatus, nuclear medicine diagnostic apparatus, etc., the ultrasonic diagnostic instrument is small and cheap, enables real-time image display, and exhibits high safety due to less X-ray exposure. Owing to these advantages, the ultrasonic diagnostic instrument has been widely used for diagnosis of heart, abdomen, urinary, and ob-gyn diseases.
A typical ultrasonic diagnostic instrument, to acquire an ultrasonic image of a subject, includes a transducer to transmit an ultrasonic signal to the subject and to receive an ultrasound echo signal reflected from the subject.
More specifically, the ultrasonic diagnostic instrument may include a transducer to implement inter-conversion between an electrical signal and an acoustic signal via vibration of a piezoelectric material, a matching layer to reduce a difference in acoustic impedances between the transducer and the subject to allow ultrasonic waves generated in the transducer to be transmitted to the subject to the maximum extent, a lens layer to collimate the ultrasonic waves moving forward of the transducer on a specific point, and an acoustic absorption layer to prevent the ultrasonic waves from moving rearward of the transducer to prevent image distortion.
Recently, smaller size and higher performance of the transducer included in the ultrasonic diagnostic instrument causes generation of heat, and therefore research into heat transfer to prevent heat from being transferred forward of the ultrasonic diagnostic instrument or research into cooling of the ultrasonic diagnostic instrument has been conducted.